f a s h i o n

As the Couture/European Designer Sportswear Buyer for Nordstrom Department Stores, Mar-garet Hinojosa, Epsilon Phi–Texas Woman’s University, has daily encounters with names that could make most women swoon—Versace. Cha-nel. Dolce & Gabbana. Valentino. She travels to New York, Paris and Milan. She attends fashion shows that resemble rock concerts in their star power and intensity. She has private meetings to preview clothing from some of the worlds’ most desired designers.

But it isn’t all fun and games. Margaret spoke candidly with the Quarterly about living the life of a high fashion buyer and offered some tips on how Alpha Gams can stay stylish.

H I G H F A S H I O N a l p h a g a m

an interview by mary kay price

quarterly: What is your

title with Nordstrom?

margaret: Couture /

European Designer Sportswear

Buyer

q: What does that involve?

m: I buy American and

European Couture Collections

(Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang,

Badgley Mischka, Chanel,

Valentino, YSL) and European

Designer Sportswear (Alexander

McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana,

Chloe, Missoni, Versace). This

means I travel to New York, Mi-

lan and Paris to buy these collec-

tions for Nordstrom.

q: What is a typical day like

for you?

m: The first thing I do is

check my sales from the previ-

ous day. I will call department

managers to congratulate them

on good business or discuss

challenges with department

managers to help them with

strategies to improve their re-

sults. After that I usually check

e-mail and address urgent issues,

and then talk on the phone with

vendors to discuss collection

performance and shipping. I may

have a meeting scheduled with

my financial team to discuss

buying budgets for an upcom-

ing market trip, inventory flow,

markdowns or there may be a

meeting to discuss new store

openings, marketing, advertis-

ing, etc.

I will spend the rest of the day

either analyzing a collection

business, working on future

strategies or drafting proposals

for an upcoming designer per-

sonal appearance.

Once a week I have a meeting

with my team (two assistant

buyers and one office assistant)

to review what is coming up

in the week and month: trunk

shows, major events, sales, new

strategies, problems or challeng-

es. I liken these weekly meetings

to an Alpha Gam Chapter meet-

ing: Old business, new business,

calendar check (to make sure

each member of my team knows

what is on the radar).

q: What is your favorite part

of your job?

m: There are so many, I don’t

even know where to begin! I

love being in a market appoint-

ment and seeing a model walk

into the showroom with an outfit

so beautiful it takes your takes

your breath away. I love taking a

challenging aspect of my busi-

ness, coming up with a strategy

to improve it, executing it and

seeing successful results. But

above all, my favorite part is

when I have privilege to meet

the designer of the collections I

buy.

q: What is the most grueling

aspect?

m: This would be considered

the “non-glamorous” part of the

job. Traveling for more than two

weeks at a time can be taxing.

There comes a point when you

want to sleep in your own bed

and have a home cooked meal.

When you are in market, it’s

not just about being in a great

city and looking at gorgeous

clothes—I really work! A typical

day in market involves being

in appointments from 9 a.m.

Fashion vs. StyleWhat’s the difference? Margaret says, “I see ‘fashion’ as keep-ing up with the latest trends, wearing the latest and hottest pieces of the season. ‘Style’ is something beyond fashion. It’s wearing clothes that flatter your figure, colors that flatter your complexion. It is about having components in your closet that transcend time.”

Style EssentialsSleeveless black dressSkirt suit with a feminine cut jacketGreat pair of pantsCrisp white shirtCashmere turtleneckBeautiful silk scarfClassic handbagPair of well-fitting jeans

until 7 p.m. During the appoint-

ment time I review hundreds

of samples and pick the ones I

believe will sell. In the case of

Marni, an Italian collection, I

have to review nearly a thou-

sand samples. This requires a

great deal of concentration and a

steady flow of Diet Coke.

Once I get back to the hotel, I

have to write the order. Writing

means that I have to determine

the styles I will buy and what

sizes I will buy for each store

while keeping everything it

within a predetermined budget.

Vendors need the orders right

away so they can begin ordering

fabrics and begin production.

It is not unusual to have a full

day of appointments and then

go back to the hotel, order room

service, write orders till 3 a.m.

and then wake up at 7 a.m. to

repeat the same thing all over

again.

q: What has been your single

best experience in your career?

m: The single best experience

was when I met Karl Lagerfeld.

Karl Lagerfeld is the single most

powerful man in the world of

high fashion. He is probably

in his seventies but his ideas

are endless and are always new

and innovative. In 1982, he was

hired as the designer at Chanel

and has evolved it into the most

important fashion house in the

world. The man is beyond bril-

liant. I used to think that the day

I met Karl Lagerfeld, I could

retire because I had done it all.

It was March 2003 and I was at

his Left Bank showroom in Paris

called Le Libraire. It is actually

a photography studio/bookstore.

He sells copies of all his favor-

ite books in the bookstore and

has a photography studio in the

back room where he shows his

collection, Lagerfeld Gallery.

I was in the studio reviewing a

rack of jeans when a large party

walked in. Many times, major

retailers will attend a market

appointment with an entourage

that includes the buyer, assistant

buyer, merchandiser, corporate

merchandiser, fashion director,

etc. In this case, I thought this

was the entourage of another

major retailer. When I looked

over, I immediately recognized

a white haired ponytail and

wraparound sunglasses. I froze.

My heart stopped beating. I

stopped breathing. Suddenly,

a little voice in my head said,

“Don’t make a fool of yourself!”

I turned my head in the opposite

direction of his entourage, start-

ed breathing again and realized

my heart was pounding. By the

time I turned around full circle,

he was an arm’s length away. I

immediately introduced myself

and said hello. We made some

small talk. It just so happened

that I had a camera in my hand.

There are always models in the

showroom modeling the clothes

and having your camera in the

event a model walks up wearing

something you like helps so that

you don’t have to scramble for

it. Before I knew it, the venduese

(salesperson), took the camera

out of my hand and said in her

French accent, “Here. I make a

picture!” Well, I wasn’t going to

argue. I simply smiled big and

prayed the photo would come

out well!

q: When did you first become

interested in fashion?

m: When I was in high

school, I worked in a fabric

store. I wanted to take advan-

tage of my employee discount

so I learned to sew. I soon found

that I could make a new outfit

every week at a minimal cost. I

received more compliments on

the outfits I created rather than

outfits that I bought. I got seri-

ous about fashion my freshman

year of college. I was nursing

major and realized my heart was

not in it. Fortunately, the school

I attended had a Department of

Fashion and Textiles. I changed

my major and received a Bach-

elor of Science in Clothing and

Costume Design from Texan

Woman’s University in Denton,

Texas.

q: Do you still design clothes

or stick mainly to buying/mer-

chandising?

m: My job does not require

designing and I haven’t done

any design work in more than 12

years. Having a design back-

ground has been a valuable asset

though and helps me everyday in

buying. For example, knowing

how a garment should fit is criti-

cal. Poor fit can be why a gar-

ment will not sell. Being able to

identify the quality of construc-

tion is also essential. The price

points of the collections I buy

are expensive. If the quality is

poor, the customer will not jus-

tify the expense. If the sample fit

is off, I can ask that the sample

be adjusted for production. If

the placement of a pocket is not

flattering, I can bring that to the

attention of the vendor with the

recommendation that it is moved

or removed all together. I have

passed on collections or styles

just because the construction, fit

and quality has not been up to

par.

q: Where did you work prior

to Nordstrom?

m: Before Nordstrom, I

worked as an Assistant Buyer for

a specialty store in Dallas called

Stanley Korshak for two and a

half years. Prior to that, I was

a sales associate in the Cou-

ture Salon at Neiman Marcus’s

flagship store in Dallas for two

years. I ended up in retail by

chance.

After I graduated from college,

I had romantic visions of going

to Paris. I had wanted a one way

ticket to Paris for graduation

and a job at the House of Chanel

clipping thread off garments.

I envisioned that I would be

“discovered” by Karl Lagerfeld

Three-Quarter Coat— These coats have become an extension of jackets. They can be belted, trench style at the knee or below the knee in tweed, jacquard or leather. Wear over a basic sheath dress or over trousers. Full Skirt— This is a strong silhouette. Wear it in taffeta, patterned brocade or tweed for fall. Velvet— Velvet hasn’t been an im-portant fabric in a long time. Add a touch of it in a skirt, on trim on a jacket or on a great cocktail dress. Flats/Platform Shoes— The flat carries on the balle-rina flat silhouette from sum-mer. For fall, it can be very flat or have a sliver of a heel. The other key silhouette is the platform. It can be found with a tassel, as a sling back in suede or metallic leather. Great Handbag— If you can’t do all of the above, splurge on a great handbag, like the Chloe pa-goda bag, which is a slouchy camera style handbag, or find a bag in tweed. This is an easy way to give your ward-robe a lift.

Margaret’sFall Fashion Must-Haves:

as a design talent and he would

make me his protégé. Alas, my

parents couldn’t afford to send

me to Paris and I needed to get

to work. I did various freelance

work at local design houses:

Howard Wolf, Jan Barboglio and

Page Boy Maternity. That was in

1991, right when the Gulf War

broke out. Finding a permanent

job was tough. My mother had

given me a second hand copy

of Stanley Marcus’s “Minding

the Store,” which covered the

history of Neiman Marcus, and I

decided retail couldn’t be all that

bad and went to work for them.

When I got there, I found my-

self exposed to all of the best in

fashion: Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld,

Chloe, Oscar de le Renta, Bill

Blass and Geoffrey Beane. It

was also at point in time where I

saw the end of an era in Ameri-

can fashion–the end of the ca-

reers of some American legends:

James Gallanos, who was Greek

born and considered the premier

American couturier; Adolfo,

who designed a great deal of

the clothing Nancy Regan wore

during the Regan administration

and Pauline Trigere, who de-

signed Patricia Neal’s costumes

in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” I was

privileged to meet them all at a

young age.

q: Describe a fashion show in

Paris/Milan.

m: The collections (fashion

shows) in Paris and Milan are

quite a frenzy. There are thou-

sands of buyers, journalists, pho-

tographers and paparazzi, push-

ing and shoving to get in. The

only way to get in is to have a

ticket. You literally have to push

your way through the crowds of

people with your ticket clutched

tight in your hand to get the

front, where a security guard,

like bouncer at a club, lets you

in. There are always extra people

who try to get into shows.

Once the buyers, journalists

are seated, there is sometimes

standing room availability to

see the show. I remember at-

tending my first Alexander Mc-

Queen show and having people

come up to me asking if I had

an extra ticket. Once you are in,

you find your way to your seat.

Getting to the show on time is

important. If you get there late

and the show is about to start,

your seat will be given away.

Last March I saw the Alexander

McQueen show sitting crossed

leg at the end of the catwalk,

because my flight was late flying

in from Milan to Paris. I arrived

as they lights were going dim.

My seat had been given up. I

can’t complain though because

I got a really great, undisturbed

close up view of the clothes—I

was literally 12 inches from the

models.

q: Who is your favorite de-

signer right now?

m: Right now, it has to be

Alber Elbaz who designs for

Lanvin. He is a true innovator. In

fashion, there are designers who

shake things up. People might

not like what he is doing at the

moment, but then you start see-

ing the elements of his influence

a year later. That is innovation.

You have to appreciate the fact

that he is bold enough to be a

catalyst of change. Some design-

ers play it safe. He doesn’t.

q: What is your favorite ad-

dition to your wardrobe?

m: Currently, it is a black

Chanel cashmere twin set (car-

digan with a sleeveless top to

wear underneath it) with Les-

age black and beige ‘fisherman

knotted’ trim. It is so versatile.

I can wear the full set with a

pleated black skirt, pearls and be

perfect for a business meeting or

luncheon, or wear a scoop neck

cotton t-shirt under the cardigan

and a full khaki skirt and balle-

rina flats for dressed down at the

office and even throw on a pair

of khaki cropped pants, and still

look casually appropriate. It was

a pricey twin-set, however its

versatility and the confidence I

feel knowing it is a truly fantas-

tic piece have made it priceless.

q: With your busy schedule,

how do you still manage to stay

involved with Alpha Gamma

Delta?

m: I have learned to know my

limits. I am not always perfect.

That means I have to say “no”

on occasion. And that’s not a

bad thing. I would rather stay

involved in a small way, rather

than over commit myself and

then have to back out. Proper

planning is essential. I have

served as IRD Chairman the past

five years and the key has been

planning far enough in advance

and breaking the tasks down so

that I am completing responsi-

bilities over a period of time.

Of course, delegation is key.

Interestingly, these are all things

I learned being an officer as an

Alpha Gamma Delta under-

graduate.

C l o t h i n g C a r e 1 0 1

“Please respect your purchases.

Take care of them. Hang jackets on

arched wooden or plastic hangers

to retain the shape of the garment

and fold knitted pieces so they do

not stretch on hangers. Launder

appropriately and not too often.

Believe it or not, dry cleaning can

damage the fabrics of clothing. A

suit should be cleaned once a sea-

son. After wearing, hang the suit

on a proper hanger and let it to air

out before hanging in your closet.

Wrinkles in a suit made of good

fabric, such as wool, should just

fall out by hanging it up before

storing in your closet.”